THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
Just as the Egyptians did not blame God for their own frailty and chose to slay the firstborn of the Hebrews, staining the river with their blood, God continued to reveal His might to them. However, in their unresponsiveness, He delivered upon them the most severe judgments, making His power known throughout the cosmos, which the Egyptians themselves experienced directly. Others learned of this through rumor, but they came to understand God’s strength through their own afflictions and personal observations. This was foretold to preclude the notion that their suffering was merely a consequence of chance or natural forces. Therefore, it resonates with what the Scriptures declare concerning the Savior: "And rule in the midst of Thy enemies" (Psalms 109:2).
Read more (134 words)
Not in isolation or elsewhere, but within the very city, God inflicted punishment on them (see also Ex. 11:5).
The Lord, in His wisdom and skill, employs the same actions to both bless His chosen and provide a means for the wayward to recognize His sovereign power. This was evident in Egypt when He executed judgment upon its inhabitants whilst safeguarding the people of Israel. Through God’s wrath, the Egyptians, and through God’s providence towards the Israelites, they came to recognize the might of the Creator of all. Furthermore, the Israelites, through God’s continual care and the daily sight of the plagues afflicting Egypt, came to grasp the extraordinary love He held for them. In this way, through the same divine acts, He manifested His greatness both to His faithful and to His foes.